Moussawi: Biden´s visit to Lebanon is an attempt to strengthen March 14 alliance

23-5-2009

Former MP Ammar Moussawi spoke to LBC TV on Saturday morning, saying that President Suleiman "does not need US support. The strongest support for the president comes from the inside [of Lebanon], and he knows it." Moussawi referred to the promise of US support that Vice President Joe Biden made on his Friday visit to Lebanon.

Moussawi also said that Biden's visit to Lebanon was "an attempt to strengthen the efforts of the majority."
He said that President Michel Suleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri represented the opposition alliance's point of view in talks with Biden.

He also said Biden's comments about the elections reveal that "the opposition has a greater chance of winning the upcoming parliamentary elections."
"We do not envy Biden's visit to the March 14 alliance. It will not give them any extra votes in the election," Moussawi added.

He warned that the US is aiming to control the Interior and Defense Ministries after the upcoming Lebanese government.
He said that independent candidates in the election are "deposits to President Suleiman from March 14 [alliance]. They can retrieve them whenever they want."

Moussawi also spoke about power sharing after the elections, saying, "We are certain that a sufficient part of March 14 will participate in our government if we win the elections. I do not think that Future bloc leader MP Saad Hariri's decision not to participate in the government if he loses the elections is final."

"PM Fouad Siniora and Finance Minister Mohammad Chatah ruled the country for four years without a budget, since without it they cannot be held accountable. Minister Chatah is trying to convince us that in the last "quarter hour" the budget will be adopted," Moussawi said.